Photograph courtesy of A Step Ahead Prosthetics.
Amy Palmiero-Winters has again proven herself to be a titan of the running world. The 34-year-old endurance monster already held ten world records in triathlons and running events, including her September 19 obliteration of the previous 50-mile record (two hours faster than the previous amputee record), which she pulled out while recovering from third-degree burns on her residual limb.
Now, she has another major record to add to her list. On October 11, Palmiero-Winters became the first female amputee in history to finish-and win-a 100-mile race. Her 18:54 time (that’s 18 hours and 54 minutes) brought her to first place in the women’s division, was the second-fastest women’s time in the history of the event, and brought her across the tape with only seven men ahead of her.
The race started at 6 a.m. on a cold, windy day with temperatures in the low 30s and winds up to 40 miles per hour. Although Kansas is known as a flat state, the 100-mile out-and-back course covered 6,000 feet of elevation changes and had rough terrain.
The 34-year-old welder and single mother of two ran the course on a customized running prosthesis specifically designed by A Step Ahead Prosthetics, Hicksville, New York, to handle the demands of trail running, including weather, terrain, and massive fatigue. Palmiero-Winters competes as a member of Team A Step Ahead, a team of amputee athletes supported by A Step Ahead Prosthetics. As director of the team, she coordinates sports programs for amputee athletes and serves as a coach and mentor for young children with limb loss.
